The Resurrection Vial
by dyingforlove
Summary: Who else but Van Helsing can stop the resurrection of Satan?
1. The Beginning

She could feel him breath. The rapid beat of his heart. His shaky breaths. The severe trembling of his hands with each foot that touched the foggy ground. It was cold outside, but the night always brought out a bitterness in Transylvania.

The young man's back was against a tomb stone, he was crouched down and breathing heavily; like he had been running. His teeth chattering he dared to peek around the tomb stone and look into the darkness. But there was nothing. Just the sound of someone's boots stepping on the wet dew. Fog hung over the ground, making it hard to see.

Resting the back of his head against the gravestone, he looked at the old, wooden fence that was falling apart. A medium sized tree was on the other side. He felt his heart stop. Next to the tree was a shady figure. A detailed image couldn't be seen because of the darkness and a hood was drawn over their face. Gasping, he got up and stumbled in the opposite direction.

He was literally running blind. His mind couldn't process where he was, even though any other time he could navigate just fine. Yet for the last couple of days, a hooded figure, the one by the tree, had been stalking him. They had asked about things. Impossible things. He had refused to say anything to them, but now he regretted it dearly.

Now he found himself running through the forest, his head spinning. His legs felt numb and he could feel the strength flowing out of them with every stride he took. He looked behind him, only to see trees and fog. While he did so he came up on a tree root, tripping over it and falling to the ground.

For a moment he couldn't realize what had happened. Blinking, he started to get up in a daze, but then a weight on his back pushed him back to the ground.

"Where is The Resurrection Vial?"

The voice was definitely feminine, yet each word seemed to be intoxicated with loathing and hatred.

"I-I don't know w-what you're talking about!" He said, then started sobbing. "P-please, please..."

The weight was removed, and for a split second he thought she had left. But then he heard the sound of a sword being drawn from it's sheath.


	2. Nightmares & Memories

"Do you love the sea, Mr. Van Helsing?"

He was back at the sea. The same hill, which hadn't changed a bit. And the sea's waves crashed menacingly onto shore, daring someone to try and enter their waters.

Yet it was the familiar sweetness of the voice made Gabriel turn around, and his eyes widened.

"Anna?"

The black headed beauty approached him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love the sea," she whispered, her voice fading with the breeze.

He closed his eyes, hearing Anna take a step back.

"Van Helsing," she said his name. Softly yet playfully, like a school girl calling to a boy she liked.

"Anna."

"Van Helsing."

"Anna."

"Van Helsing! Dammit, I'm not Anna."

Gabriel's eyes shot open as he was awakened by a much less-pleasing voice. Carl. Moaning, he sat up on the small bed he had fallen asleep on, glaring at the friar.

"Get up, do whatever you do, and then come outside. The Organization has another mission for you," he said, then got up to leave.

"Carl, save the suspension you're not causing and just tell me."

"Oh, alright," he sighed, coming back to sit on the small chair that was sitting next to Gabriel's bed. "You have to go back to Transylvania."

He sighed. "And why couldn't they just of had me take care of their errands while I was there?" he asked bitterly, standing up and walking to a small chest next to the door, putting his black hat on his head.

"Because it wasn't a problem while we were there," Carl said, following Gabriel around the room as he picked up various things. His gun, silver bullets, a crucifix, and that gun that Carl had invented to kill vampires.

"And now what is the problem? Dracula is gone and so are his brides. Do they know that I kill monsters? I'm not going back to kill their termites now."

"Five men, two women, and two children have been killed in that village in the last week, Gabriel. We need to find out who she is and what she's looking for."

"Carl, it'd be nice if you could tell me how you know it's a woman."

"Oh. Right," he said, shifting uncomfortably as Van Helsing turned to look at him. "She um, apparently arrived right after...Anna died. She's been asking about a legend I've never even heard of before, and no one in that village has either. Or if they have, then they're not telling."

"Okay. So what's the legend, Carl?" he asked, going out the door and walking towards two horses that were tied next to the house. They had brought them back from Transylvania.

"Well, I don't know much about it," he confessed, hurrying after his partner. "But from what The Organization has told me, she's looking for something called 'The Resurrection Vial'. But nobody knows what it does."

"Well telling from the name," Van Helsing said, untying his horse and mounting it. "She's trying to resurrect somebody." His heels dug into the horse's sides, and he took off at a trot down the dirt road. It was very deserted out here, the dirt road and the house the only hints that civilization once existed here. After Anna's death, he had resided here. Carl insisted on staying. He shouldn't have stayed for as long as he had, but he didn't know if he was ready to return to Transylvania.

"Van Helsing!" Carl gasped, bouncing up beside him on his own horse.

Gabriel gave him an amused look, but didn't slow down.

"They have to know more, Carl, what else do you know?"

"Well, besides your theory on what the resurrection vial is," Carl said, trying to find a more comfortable way to sit on the trotting horse. "Some villagers say that they've seen lights go on in Dr. Frankenstein's castle every few days late at night. For now, the people have concluded that it's haunted," Carl said.

"What do they want me to do about it, exactly? Suck the ghost up with a vacuum?" Van Helsing asked sarcastically, his voice no longer friendly.

"Van Helsing, I'm just telling you what I know. Feel free to get mad at the damn villagers, but not me," the friar retorted.

"Carl, don't swear. You're not good at it and you're a monk nonetheless, you can't swear," Van Helsing said in a scolding manner.

"I've told you that I'm just a friar. And I didn't know that there was a certain way to curse," Carl retorted, crossing his arms. This caused him to lose his balance and he started to fall backwards.

"Carl, do I need to teach you how to ride a horse?" Van Helsing asked, grabbing the front of his robes and pulling him back up so he could grab onto the reins again.

Carl lifted his head in dignity, digging his heels into his horse's sides and bounced down the road on his cantering horse.


	3. Welcome back

"Well it looks like they have the same old welcome wagon," Carl said worriedly, looking around at the townspeople, who were surrounding the two very much like they had on their first visit here.

"Who knows about the Resurrection Vial?" Van Helsing asked. Visible shivers went through the crowd and murmurs of suspicion and worry were emitted.

"The last person to ask that is a murderer. How do we know that you're not like her?" The question was asked by a woman, the crowd separating in two groups so that she had a path to Van Helsing.

"Marishka," Van Helsing said, remembering Dracula's bride. Which was surprising, since she had changed so much. Instead of her thick, wavy blond hair it was now brown, shorter and straight. Her skin was darker, but her eyes were the same. The sharp, transfixing hazel eyes.

"I believe I killed you."

"Can you kill something that's already dead?" She pondered aloud, then smiled. "I have the same name still, but I'm not the Marishka you...killed," she said, taking a few steps forward.

"I guess your right, your wardrobe has completely changed," he remarked, his eyes scanning her much-less-revealing clothing. Tight black slacks clung to her slender frame, the white shirt hugged her curves tightly also. Combat boots adorned her feet, although they almost reached her knees. Very casual.

Marishka smirked. "Yes, Mr. Van Helsing, almost everything has changed since I was with The Count."

"But that still doesn't tell me how you're alive, since I clearly remember turning you to ashes."

"God does not give just you second chances," she stated simply, turning to face the crowd gathered around them.

"Go. He is alright," she said, and waited until most of the townspeople were out of ear shot or back in their homes before she talked to Van Helsing again.

"You are here for the woman, yes? Good luck in trying to find her, she comes and go's at random intervals. The only thing we know for sure about her, is that when she comes to town somebody else dies," she said, facing him.

"Well, this woman is not my main interest as of right now. Are you human? Somehow I doubt the townspeople know who you really...were."

"In times of need, Mr. Van Helsing, people are willing to forget the past. Since Ms. Valerious' untimely death, the people here had no leader. When I came around, they were willing to let me lead them in the right direction."

"Hmmm," Van Helsing merely said, turning and opening the door of the church, peering inside. "Are the other brides hiding around here?"

"The world is very big, Mr. Van Helsing, they have lives and can choose to go where they want."

"And what do you have to do in order to live? What price to pay?" He asked, taking out his gun to aim it at her heart. "Who do you have to kill?"

Marishka smiled, taking a step forward. "The Count must die for the final and third time."

"Wait, Van Helsing killed The Count when he was a werewolf. Dracula is dead," Carl interrupted, standing behind Van Helsing. He pointed an accusing finger at her. "And you should be too."

"At this point of time I'm willing to believe anything," Van Helsing murmured, looking at Marishka. "So who do you want me to kill first, the woman or your husband?"

"I don't believe I'm the one who tells you how you do your job, Mr. Van Helsing," she said, but then motioned around to an old tavern next to the church.

"But the woman seems to like going there. Or that's what the townspeople have told me, so maybe that will be your next destination. Then, we can go find The Count," she said, turning and walking away.

"Interesting in the way she said it," Van Helsing murmured, going down the Church steps and making his way next door.

"I've hauled my ass to Transylvania with you, Van Helsing, so I must insist that you explain to me what you mean by that," Carl said, scurrying up beside him.

"Carl."

"Let me guess. I'm a monk and I don't know how to swear," Carl said, crossing his arms.

Smirking, Van Helsing turned to his friend, grabbing his arm to stop him from going on. "Go to the Valerious' estate, read through books and see what you can find on The Resurrection Vial." He kept speaking just as Carl opened his mouth to say something, answering his question. "Somehow I think that The Vial is related to Dracula, find out how and why."

Carl nodded, starting to walk away, but then he turned back towards Van Helsing. "And what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to have a drink," Van Helsing said, pushing open the door to the tavern and disappearing into the building.

"Oh sure. He gets to have a drink and I get to read!" Carl murmured, waddling back to the Valerious' estate.


	4. Just one drink

It wasn't really surprising nobody else was in the bar. Apparently everyone had been warned about this mysterious woman. Or maybe nobody liked the bar, he wasn't sure. The bar tender looked uneasy as he cleaned a glass, like he didn't even want to be there. This woman must have really put a scare into the people.

Gabriel held his glass loosely, taking a short swig before setting it back down on the bar. He couldn't taste it, really. Then again, his tasting and smelling senses seemed to weaken after he killed Anna. It was the strangest thing. His only answer, as well as Carl's answer to this problem, was that smelling and tasting things was supposed to be joyful. Like smelling a wild flower. Tasting honey. The things he knew Anna would probably have done if she were still living, and not fighting for her family's honor.

"You don't associate hearing, seeing, and touching as being joyful," Carl had said after Van Helsing had confided in his friend. "For those senses, you just use them to do your job."

Carl's theory was probably correct. Most of the things he said were. Taking another swig, Van Helsing emitted a heavy sigh. Carl was worried, he could tell. But any good friend would be. But it's only Carl that apologizes over and over again on the trip back to Transylvania for giving Van Helsing a crude awakening that day he received the news of his next mission. That Anna was gone. And that she was never coming back.

"But that's why you search for me, to get answers."

Van Helsing turned in his stool to look at the cloaked figure in the doorway, and he watched the bar tender literally run into the back room out of the corner of his eye. He looked at the shady figure with interest, instantly looking for some sort of physical weakness. A bandage covering a wound, a limp in her stride, anything that he could use against her if it came to a fight. Call it his instinct.

"Actually, I'm searching for you to know why you've killed," he paused for a moment, as if thinking of something. "Five men, two women, and two children," he finished, standing up as she walked closer.

He thought he heard her chuckle before she sat down on a stool, three stools left between her and Van Helsing. "Do you listen to what everyone says? To an ex-vampire who claims your God has given her a second chance? I've heard you were an intelligent being, Van Helsing, to match your skills in killing," she laughed softly. "But maybe I was wrong."

Van Helsing tried not to be intrigued by this woman. But something about her was...curious. Nothing like he's faced before. Strange. Ah, well. There was always a way to kill someone, one way or another. Leaning back slightly, Van Helsing took another swig. "If you didn't kill them, who did?"

"If you believe everything Marishka tells you, then you'd know the answer to that," the woman replied in an amused tone, pulling her hood farther over her face.

"If you know all the answers, then why would Dracula kill all the people _you_ had contact with? Seems to be an awful coincidence on your part," he replied.

"I'm not the only one who knows where to get answers from. Do you really think Dracula is without followers this time? He has new spies, a new pet, and new brides. The Count is hears everything you and I say. But he's a step behind me, you can either be ahead of Dracula or at the same place he is," she said, then acted as if she was getting up to leave.

"You said you and I. Why is he worried about me?" Van Helsing asked, wondering how this girl knew so much already. She couldn't have been in Transylvania for more than two weeks, yet she seemed to know everything already.

"You killed him. Remember?" she reminded him, relaxing again and putting her elbows on the bar. He still had time before he had to wrap up his chat with her.

Ah, there it was. He hadn't noticed it until now. She had a Transylvanian accent. She either had direct bloodlines here or had grown up in the country. "Why are you searching for the Resurrection vial?" he asked, taking his glass into his hand, but not taking a drink.

"Why are you getting yourself into something more than you can handle?"

"It's my job," he replied with a smirk. "I'll find out one way or another, whether I force it out of you or just kill you now and find out a different way."

"The monk won't find much, so I'm guessing you're going to have to force it out of me," she said disbelievingly. "Or maybe you'll find out more by just sitting back and enjoying the ride. Take notes, Van Helsing," she said, standing up. "By the way, you better get that stake gun of yours, because our bar tender friend here, has finished his little errand," she said, heading to the door.

"As much as I appreciate the warning, I'm afraid I can't let you go," Van Helsing said, standing up and grabbing his gun. His stool toppled over as he quickly stepped into the isle, his sights on the back of the woman's head. His back was against the hard wood wall. "I think you know that I will kill you," he warned.

"I think you and I both know you won't," the woman said, spinning around quickly and throwing something at him. A tearing noise and a loud clunk told him that the dagger she had thrown had come dangerously close to hitting him. "Not now that you're starting to put the pieces together," she said, walking out the door.

Just a second later, something fell in the back room. Jumping over the bar and pulling out his stake gun, Van Helsing slowly made his way into the back room. All that was there were bottles of beer and boxes along the walls. Still not convinced, he made his way to the back, checking every isle for someone, or something that would have made the noise. Also, the bar tender was nowhere to be found.

Slowing his pace a bit, he turned around quickly only to have something hit him in the face. Being knocked back a few feet, he looked up at a woman holding a crowbar. Her wavy, black hair was a bit frizzy, but she still looked beautiful. An outfit that was similar to the attire Dracula's first brides wore adorned her body. She laughed coldly, taking a few more steps forward. "So you're the great Van Helsing who killed my master. What's your plan for him this time around, hmmm?" she said delightfully, kneeling down next to him.

"I wasn't aware that Dracula was alive, actually, but I'll pay him a visit, maybe," he said, getting up on his elbows. He glanced sideways quickly, locating his stake gun.

"My master is wanting to see you too, Mr. Van Helsing," she said with a giggle. She opened her mouth slightly, revealing the two fangs that protruded from her top lip. "This is just a little welcoming party."

She hit him across the face, and by the time he looked back she was gone. Getting up slowly, he grabbed his stake gun and shook his head a bit. Sighing heavily, he looked around the room, and then saw the open back door.

Wandering out the door, he found himself in front of the Valerious' estate. The huge mansion stood out amongst the other little wooden houses. Looking up, he saw movement within the house through the tower window. Carl, he imagined. He wondered how much Carl found out.

Walking towards the front entrance, his feet sunk into the mud. It was spring here, and the winter snow was starting to melt. Pushing open the front door, he was bombarded with memories throughout the house. The first time he wandered through the house, he was awed by it's beauty. There were pictures of her ancestors everywhere. There was even one with Vladislaus in it.

He walked through the familiar, yet vague hallways. The crimson satin curtains, the red rug that was rolled throughout the hardwood floors of the house somehow pulled the place together. He eventually found the stone staircase, which led up to the tower. He did find Carl there, flipping through a book restlessly.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, Carl jumped when he looked up and saw Van Helsing standing there. Calming himself down, he laughed breathlessly. "Van Helsing, you scared me," he said, standing up. He grabbed the book he was reading and set it on the pile of the books he had already read. "I barely found anything, Van Helsing, I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing, Carl. What'd you find?" he said, wandering around the tower. He flipped through a few books, pretending to be interested. But he was really just keeping his mind occupied. So he wouldn't remember Anna.

"Well. The Resurrection Vial is exactly what you thought it was, it contains some fluid-like material that if you pour the contents over a corpse, then that corpse will come back to life, but there's some horrible side effect that's not mentioned."

"Why would Dracula and that woman want it?" Van Helsing asked, shutting a book and turning to look at Carl. "What business would Dracula have with it?"

"Obviously there's someone that he wants to resurrect," Carl said, shrugging. "The woman, she may just want it to raise a deceased loved one, or maybe she's working for Dracula."

"I don't think so. She said that she was one step ahead of Dracula," Van Helsing said, thinking.

"Oh, so you did talk to her then? I imagined you'd bring her back here with you, but obviously not," Carl said.

"She got away. One of Dracula's brides paid me a visit," he said, rubbing the side of his face at the reminder.

"Oh. Well that's not good," Carl said, frowning. "That means that he could very possibly have two more brides, and a new werewolf."

"Sounds like he has everything he needs, find out why he needs the Resurrection Vial, Carl," he said.

"Hmm, you seem to have narrowed the search down. I'd like to be filled in, if you don't mind."

Marishka walked into the room, her same attire she had been wearing earlier still clamped to her body.

"Your woman killer seems to be racing Dracula to the Resurrection Vial. But one of his new brides paid me a visit, his goons won't be far from me. He can't find the woman, so he's going to tail me."

Marishka laughed coldly. "It's just like the Count to have found new brides already. He has his werewolves also."

"I thought he could only have one?" Van Helsing said, turning to face her directly.

"One of the villagers suffered major bite wounds. We tried to heal his wounds because we lacked the knowledge a werewolf attacked him. He disappeared this morning," she said, sighing with frustration. "But the next full moon isn't until next week, so he'll be around. Do your homework, Mr. Van Helsing, because after the second werewolf curse is permanent, there'll be no stopping Dracula's force," she said, letting it sink in before she turned and walked out.


	5. Meet bride 1, again

1"Well that's not good," Carl said, watching Marishka walk out. Turning back to Van Helsing, he frowned. "We barely know anything, and Dracula's brides are giving us a bit of trouble. Oh, and there's that strange women that's killing people. And then there's-"

"Thank you, Carl," Van Helsing said sarcastically, rolling his eyes a bit. Readjusting his hate, he thought for a moment. What was the next step? He was facing a giant wall, and he knew there was only one way to the other side; he needed to find _her_.

"I need to negotiate with that woman," he said, checking his weapons. "She's the only way we can get to the Resurrection Vial before Dracula," he said, starting to walk out the door.

"Oh, well, do you want me to tell Marishka after you leave?" Carl volunteered, looking after him.

"No, Carl. You're coming with me," Van Helsing called over his shoulder.

"B-but Van Helsing, I don't want to go with you to strike up a conversation with a killer!" Carl pleaded, scuttling after him. "Van Helsing!"

Gabriel could barely hear Carl, however, as he was lost in his thoughts as he made his way back out of the house. The Resurrection Vial could bring back the dead. Naturally, his first urge was to find the Vial and pour it over Anna's corpse. He reminded himself that they had burned Anna's body. He couldn't bring her back.

"And how, exactly, do you plan on finding this woman?" Carl asked, eventually catching up to his companion.

"She'll find us," Van Helsing replied. "She knew I wouldn't pass the opportunity up after a couple of hours to think about it."

Turning to the right, the two were encountered with a hallway, the front door located at the end. The companions walked down it, taking the moment of silence to think of what to say. Or what they should do. But, there was nothing. They just had to sit back, and enjoy the ride. Just like she said.

Except their "_ride_" was disturbed by someone hitting them both harshly in the chest, flinging them backwards. Pulling out his stake gun as he flew back, Van Helsing shot into the darkness. He landed harshly on his back, wincing as he did so. But he looked in front of him, seeing the same bride that had attacked him in the bar walk into his vision, pulling stakes from her stomach and shoulders. But what left him aghast was the stake she pulled from her heart.

Dropping each stake on the floor, she smiled mischievously as she neared. "Nice to see you again, too, Gabriel," she said, standing over him. She circled around him, stepping over Carl's limp form in order to walk in a circle around her target: Van Helsing. "Teaming up with the wench, hmm?" she said, laughing. "You're a highly gullible man, Mr. Van Helsing. You disappoint me, my master spoke so highly of you."

"I'm sorry that I don't meet your expectations," Van Helsing said, rubbing the back of his head. "What does your master want now?"

"My master gives you a warning, Mr. Van Helsing. Loki is not who she tells you."

"So Loki is her name, then," he said with amusement. "Not a name I would have given a woman like that." He was silent for a few moments, as if thinking of something. "But she hasn't told me anything that you don't know already."

The bride smirked, diverting her gaze to Carl as he stirred. His head had hit the wall, knocking the wind out of him. Grabbing him by the hair, she yanked him towards her, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Are you sure she didn't tell you anything else? I'd hate for your friend here to suffer because of your stubbornness Mr. Van Helsing."

Van Helsing had had the stake gun pointed at her the second she had leaned towards Carl, but shooting a stake that wouldn't kill her seemed useless. "I have no other information, now I'd appreciate it if you'd let him go."

She acted as if she was thinking about it, although her playful smirk gave Van Helsing doubts. And fears. After a while, she laughed. "Master says that you're a weak man, Mr. Van Helsing. To care about your friends as much as you do will kill you someday."

"Respectfully, tell your master that I believe I was the one who killed him," he retorted, holding out his hand. "Give me the friar, I have no other information that you wouldn't already know."

She tossed Carl at him, Carl screaming the whole time he was flying through the air. He landed flat on Van Helsing's head, whom groaned in pain as Carl stood up.

"V-Van H-Helsing, I'm s-so sorry!"

Carl was a little shook up from being held hostage for a full 3 minutes. He was shaking a bit, and breathing heavily. But after a few moments, he puffed his chest out a bit. "We certainly showed her," he said triumphantly.


	6. The journey begins

_It hadn't taken long for him to make up his mind_, she mused, watching the two men walk through the dark streets of the village. She walked slowly behind them, always making sure her shoulder was touching the side of a building; just in case she needed cover.

For a while, she amused herself by the differences between the two. The first one had steady movements, courageous and determined to seek whatever he was looking for. His companion, however, moved somewhat like a penguin. He was sticking fairly close to his partner's side, and his head kept jerking back and forth. She could hear his feet dragging against the dirt road.

"Interesting," she purred softly. But it was as if the sound of her voice sent off a trigger within the first man, because he snapped his head to look behind him.

Instincts told her to crouch down, but he would see the movement. So she just stood still, counting on her black cloak to do it's job and conceal her well enough that people couldn't see her. It seemed to work.

The first man turned back around, the second in toll. She heard the first man say something to the second, although his words were inaudible to her. She smirked.

They continued down the continuos paths of the village, weaving around houses and sometimes they'd even randomly turn around and go back the way they came. She was intrigued by this odd behavior. For a few moments she wondered if they had made her. But they didn't try and lose her, or split up, they just walked around the village. How odd.

It was about three in the morning when the fog started to set in. It crept over the ground, thickening as time went by. Soon it became increasingly difficult to keep her distance and watch them at the same time. An alarm went off in her head as she lost sight of the two, melting into the fog. She quickened her pace to a fast walk, trying to make as little noise as possible.

Eventually she came to the edge of the village, the dirt road continuing into the mountains of forests of Transylvania, and then the sea. She stared out, straining to see in the fog. They couldn't have left, could they? The famous Van Helsing never left until he was killed or completed his job. Maybe she had over estimated Mr. Van Helsing, perhaps he wasn't the one for the job after all.

"Looking for me?"

The soft, yet inquiring voice of Van Helsing made her smirk; disregarding the barrel of the gun she felt against the back of her head. She turned around, barely able to see his features in the fog.

"Actually, Mr. Van Helsing, I believe you were looking for me," she corrected, the smirk still lingering on her pale lips. "Have a nice chat with Daleitra(Duh-lee-tra)?" she inquired. She knew the little wench had visited him again in the Valerious's estate. Daleitra has always had the dying need to prove herself to someone; shame that she had to prove to someone like Dracula.

"Why is Dracula looking for the Resurrection Vial, Loki?" Van Helsing asked, pressing the barrel of the gun against her forehead.

She laughed. "Did Daleitra tell you that was what my name was? She has the I.Q. of a mouse, Mr. Van Helsing, Loki is not the name I go by," she said smugly. "I prefer Nisha(knee-sha)." When he didn't reply, she decided she might as well just answer his original question. "There are a number of reasons that Dracula would want a Resurrection Vial, wouldn't you think Mr. Van Helsing?" she said, as if pondering over it.

Nisha paced around Van Helsing, seeing the gun following her out of the corner of her eye. "Dracula says you're the left hand of God, Mr. Van Helsing," she said, stopping and looking at him. "So getting Dracula from getting the Vial should be of upmost importance to you."

"Why?" he asked, sounding suspicious.

She sighed heavily, then continued her pacing. "I'll tell you, once you trust me enough to not have a gun pointed in my face," she said, giving him a cool glance.

He pulled the gun away, slowly and unsurely, and held it at his side. "Well?" he asked impatiently.

"Trust isn't earned that quickly, Mr. Van Helsing. To me, it's still as if you have the gun held to my forehead," she said, noticing Carl was hiding behind his stronger companion. She found this amusing. "A man scared of a woman?" she mused.

"Just to let you know, all the men in this village are t-terrified of you!" Carl retorted.

"Those aren't men," Nisha said, taking a few steps closer to Van Helsing so that she could feel his warm breath against her face. "A man is someone who stands up to his fear, his sorrow, and his pain," she said, her strong voice ending in a whisper. She could see his eyes searching her shadowed face, straining to see the features of her face. She grinned, then backed away, pulling her hood farther over her face again. "We should leave now, the Vial is located quite a few hundred miles from here," she said, walking back to the midst of the village.

"A few hundred miles?" Carl said unbelievingly, following Van Helsing, who was in toll of Nisha. "How on earth are we going to get there?"

"Nothing is faster than Transylvanian horses, not even those two werewolves Dracula has," she said, quickening her pace a bit.

Those words hit Van Helsing like a ton of bricks. Anna had said almost the exact same thing. He sighed heavily, running a hand through his brown hair. The weight of his heart was almost too intense. He was the reason Anna died, he had killed the only person he had ever loved. But that's why they called him a murderer, right?

"Here," Nisha said, motioning to three horses tied to a post.

"Aren't this someone else's horses?" Carl said uncertainly, noting that the horses were tied outside someone's house.

"Not anymore," she replied, untying the closest horse and mounting it. "They know their way home, they'll return here eventually," she said, kicking her horse lightly so Carl and Van Helsing could get onto their horses.

"Well, won't we be returning with them?" Carl said, pulling himself onto his horse.

The silence was his answer. Glancing over her shoulder to make sure they were both on, she clicked to her horse, having him walk through the village streets.

"Who is Dracula planning on bringing back?" Van Helsing asked softly, bringing his horse alongside Nisha's. "Trust requires communication, and for all I know this could be a useless voyage we're going on."

Nisha laughed softly. "I'm not sure you'd want to know," she said, a falter in her determined voice. "Others can't handle it."

"I've endured more than most," Van Helsing said. "I think I can bear it."

"Alright," she said, taking that as a dare. "Count Dracula has been given a second chance, but only on one condition; he has to resurrect The Devil."


	7. Meet the young assassin

1For a man who had spent his whole life not being afraid, Van Helsing was blown away by her words.

"What?" he snapped, refusing to believe that that could actually happen.

"Satan can't be resurrected!" Carl exclaimed, almost falling off his horse. "He…you…God…oh." He seemed to give up on saying what he thought, as all his words were mixed together. Gabriel couldn't blame him.

"How exactly is he planning on doing this? Dracula needs the body of Satan in order to resurrect him, right?" Van Helsing said. "Last time I checked, there was no body of Satan."

"Then check again," she said, adjusting her hood. "Because do you really think Dracula would waste his time to find something that wouldn't help him?" she asked, glancing upwards. "Wings."

"What?" Van Helsing listened. Yes, the flapping of very big wings. "Get to the forest!" he yelled just as the cackle of a woman broke the night's silence.

The forest was about half a mile ahead, but it looked so much longer. Van Helsing dug his heels into his horse's sides, making it squeal and lunge into a run. Making sure Carl was right behind him, he concentrated on the forest. The closer they got, the louder the wings were.

He was almost there when he felt claws dig into his back, but just barely. Groaning in pain, he managed to stay on, but tossed a look back at Daleitra.

"Ready to join Anna?" she cackled, swooping down again towards him.

Luckily, he was in the forest by that time, and she had to fly upwards in order to avoid flying into some trees. The forest was so thick that he could barely maneuver his horse between the trees, but at least Daleitra wouldn't be able to get them.

"I'll get you Van Helsing!" she screeched, then her voice died away and he knew that she was gone.

"I think she likes you," Nisha said. She was turned away from the two, her hood had fallen down while she had concentrated on getting into the forest. She quickly pulled it back over her head, but not before Van Helsing got an eyeful of the back of her head. Long, curly black tresses that fell a little past her shoulders.

"So where is Satan's body located, then?" Van Helsing asked, sounding troubled. He rubbed the back of his neck, still holding the reins with his other hand.

"Where do you think?" she asked, a bit irritably.

"Hell?" Carl chimed in, sounding awfully terrified. "But how are we going to get down there if-"

"No Carl," she said, holding back laughter. It was the first time Van Helsing had heard her sound remotely joyful. "In a cave."

"Well I suppose that makes since," Carl said, as if thinking it over. "He _is_ Satan, and a cave is dark and cold and-"

"Thank you Carl," Van Helsing interrupted, really not in the mood to listen to his friend ramble.

"The cave is located about fifty miles from here," Nisha said.

"But don't we need the Resurrection Vial first?" Carl inquired, sound puzzled. "It wouldn't make sense to just go there when-"

"The Vial is on the way," Nisha assured, slowing her horse from a trot to a comfortable walk. "Sort of."

"Sort of?" Van Helsing said, not liking the sounds of it.

"After about twenty five miles, we'll have to separate. I'll go after the Vial, and you go after Satan's body. Since you have to go through the mountains, you'll take longer to get to the cave. I'll meet you both there."

"What do you plan on doing after that?" Gabriel asked suspiciously. "If we have the Resurrection Vial along with the corpse of Satan, won't we just basically hand over the-"

"I told you that your man wouldn't find much in the tower, didn't I?" she said matter-of-factly. "The Vial doesn't only bring back the dead, it can keep them from ever being resurrected, no matter as to what means."

"So there's more than one way to bring back the dead?" Carl asked, terror lingering in his voice.

Nisha nodded, looking over her shoulder at him. "But the Vial is the easiest and the less time consuming."

"So how long will this take?" Van Helsing asked, realizing The Order isn't aware of this little journey he's embarked on.

"About three months."

Van Helsing sighed heavily. "Three months? Even on Transylvanian horses?" he asked.

"We'll have to ditch the horses," Nisha said. She answered Van Helsing's question before he could even ask it. "Dracula's brides and the werewolves don't take the horses in account when they're hunting us," she said.

"And I don't take the horses into account if it'll make a time difference," he retorted evenly.

"Well I do," Nisha retorted, turning her head to look at him. "After we're out of the forest, we continue on foot. There's a series of villages along the way, but they don't welcome strangers."

"None of 'em do," he murmured.

Little specks of orange light started to peek through the trees, dappling the grass with orangish red flecks. The little light that the forest canopy helped him see it before it made itself apparent in their path. A woman.

Pulling back on his reins with one hand and pulling out his gun with the other, his sights were pointed directly at her heart in a split second. "Who are you?"

The woman, who looked more like a girl now that he got a look at her, didn't look older than seventeen. Her wavy blonde hair went down to her shoulders, and a fancy outfit clung to her body.

"Dracula send you?" he asked. It seemed like an outfit The Count would make one of his brides wear, but she still seemed awfully young.

Her head was tilted towards the ground, but Gabriel could see her smirking. "Daleitra was right about you."

He didn't need to hear anymore. He fired two shots at her, and she fell to the ground with a soft thud. He kept his distance, watching the body. A glance to his side told him that Nisha also had her weapon drawn; a magnificent looking sword.

"Indy," Nisha murmured, sounding surprised. "I didn't expect him to send her so soon..."

"Umm, excuse me, but it'd be nice if you'd let us in on what you're mumbling about!" Carl said, pulling back clumsily on the reins when he accidently hit his horse in the sides with his heels.

"Indy is one of Dracula's new pets; a lycanthrope," she said thoughtfully. "Maybe I don't know Dracula like I thought I did."

"A lycanthrope?" Van Helsing murmured. It was another name for a werewolf, or some sort of were animal, but those that were called lycanthrope's could halt their transformation halfway through. Meaning they had characteristics of their animal transformation along with their human characteristics as well. The ultimate weapon.

"Would she die so easily tho-" Van Helsing cut himself off when he looked back towards where the girl had fallen. The thing was, her body was missing. Turning his horse in circles, Van Helsing examined his surroundings carefully.

Although his back was turned towards her when she hit him full force from behind. He hit the ground hard, the young girl on top of him, literally snarling at him. Her canines were about two inches longer than a normal persons, although they weren't vampire teeth; they were wolf teeth.

Van Helsing managed to kick her in the stomach, sending her about five feet into the air. She slammed against a tree, groaning in pain as she was slumped over at the base of the trunk. Standing up, Van Helsing brushed himself off. He also grabbed his hat and put it on his head, as the impact had made it fall off.

He walked over to her, putting the gun against her head. "Why did Dracula send you?" he demanded.

She laughed coldly, blood running from her lip. "Because he wants to kill you," she said, then quickly slid down and kicked Van Helsing in the rear end, causing him to fall forward.

Sliding between his legs, she took off into the forest. Gun shots told him that Nisha had been shooting at her while she made her escape. "Why didn't you shoot her when she was on top of me?" he demanded angrily.

"Because I could have shot you, and you're no good to me dead," Nisha retorted, walking over on her horse and giving him the reins of his. "I caught your horse. Your welcome," she said, then walked off into the dark forest.


	8. What lies underneath

"Van Helsing," Carl whispered, pulling his horse next to his once the trees started to lessen a bit. "Are you sure we can trust her?" He asked, directing his gaze to Nisha, who was riding ahead of them.

"We have to, Carl," he said, although he didn't like it either. "If what she says is true, then I think The Organization will like us a whole lot more if we go back and tell them we've stopped the resurrection of The Devil," he said.

Carl lifted his chin proudly. "They like me," he retorted, sticking his nose in the air.

Van Helsing laughed, glancing at Nisha when he saw her looking back at them. It was considerably lighter now, and knew that eventually he'd see Nisha's face today. She couldn't hide it forever.

"I took down my gun. You take down your hood," Van Helsing said to her.

She laughed. "True, Mr. Van Helsing. But I'm not quite sure if you _want_ to see my face."

"Like I've said, I've endured more than most. I'll handle it," he said, moving his horse next to hers.

She directed her horse away, chuckling. "Not now, Mr. Van Helsing. There's a village up here, you'll want your full concentration on them."

Just as she finished speaking, Van Helsing could see a very large clearing ahead, and the smoke coming from little huts. As they came into the village, he looked at the glaring faces of the people as they stopped and stared, watching them with suspicion. He noted that most eyes were on him and Carl, rather than Nisha. Which he found rather odd.

"It really is always like this, isn't it?" Carl asked, as if he hadn't believed it before.

"Most of the time," he said, watching everyone carefully. Especially those who were carrying pitchforks and things of the sort. He met his calm gaze with a cold glare, and he couldn't help but wonder what the hell they were glaring at.

"Unlike others, Mr. Van Helsing, the people in these villages do not like heroes," she said, nodding curtly to one of the people. They returned the nod, although they spit in disgust. Nisha stopped her horse, so Van Helsing and Carl did as well. She dismounted, walking up to the disgruntled-looking woman. "We need a room to stay in," she said rudely.

The woman looked her up and down, snorting. "Come on," she said, motioning to them and walking into a small wooden building.

They tied their horses to the hitching post, then followed the woman inside. The customers in the inn didn't look any friendlier. Van Helsing watched them as Nisha reserved two rooms.

"Come on," she said, hitting Van Helsing on the shoulder as she headed up the stairs. Gripping onto his gun, he followed her, glancing over his shoulder every now and again. He wouldn't be surprised if someone came charging after him with a pitchfork.

Nisha walked down the hall a little ways, before stopping at a room. She gave a key to Carl, whom was closest, and motioned to the door next to the one she had opened. "That's your room. Get your rest now, we leave before dawn," she said, disappearing into her room and shutting the door.

Just as Van Helsing was about to shut his, however, Nisha poked her head out of the door. "Van Helsing."

He looked at her shadowed face, raising his eyebrows.

"You may want to lock the door," she said, laughing a bit before she shut her own door again.

**The next morning**

A loud knock on their door told Van Helsing it was time to go. Getting off the cot he laid on, he woke up Carl, grabbed his gear, and the two men walked out the door. Nisha was waiting for them, the dark hallways hiding her face. She seemed to be good at that.

"We go on foot now," she said, then walked down the hallway without another word.

He and Carl exchanged glances, but followed her. Everyone was gone. Then again, maybe getting up at three in the morning wasn't considered normal. But the people here weren't exactly the "average Joe" type.

Leaving the Inn, the three walked down the dirt path, a thin sheet of fog hovering just above the ground.

"Where do we go from here?" Van Helsing asked, checking the skies. With a clearing like this, Daleitra could easily get to him. Or maybe another of Dracula's brides would show up, he wasn't sure.

"There's only a few miles of forest life," Nisha said. "Once the forest ends, we will go our separate ways."

Gabriel still wasn't comfortable with that idea. He barely knew this woman, and still felt like he couldn't trust her at all. And he shouldn't trust her. He seemed to forget that she was a murderer.

"Why leave now?" Carl asked, his teeth chattering from the cold. "Why not in the day? That way the vampires couldn't get us."

"We have a long way to go," Nisha replied. "And I bet you anything Dracula is on his way. We _have_ to beat him there," she said.

After that, they walked in silence. There just about to disappear into the forest when Van Helsing heard rapid footsteps behind him. Turning around and pulling out his gun, he pointed it at an old woman who was running at him, pitchfork in hand. She stopped on a dime, glaring at him through her large glasses. He found this rather amusing, she had to be at least eighty years old!

"God damn vampire hunter!" she cursed, waving her pitchfork in the air.

Van Helsing smirked, then motioned for her to go back to the village. Reluctantly, she did so, cursing the whole way. He made sure she was gone before he turned back to Nisha and Carl, who had waited for him.

"You seem to have a bad effect on people," Nisha mused.

Their journey continued, and for the next two hours they walked in almost complete silence. Carl would say something every now and then, but nobody would respond and he would just go silent until he thought of something else to ask. His two companions seemed to be lost in thought.

Van Helsing shielded his eyes when the orange sun peeked over the horizon, and he saw Carl and Nisha do the same. After a few moments it was burning brightly in the sky, making things considerably warmer.

They found a place to rest for a bit, Gabriel and Carl sitting on a log while Nisha sat on a boulder, turned away from them. The two men exchanged glances. They had been on this journey together for a while now, and still none of them had seen Nisha's face. And he was starting to get suspicious.

Standing up, Van Helsing made sure he was silent. He walked up slowly behind Nisha, making sure she didn't hear him coming. For a few seconds he stood, just staring down at her. Then, in a swift motion, he tore of her hood and spun her around to face him.

The sight made him stumble backwards, and eventually he fell backwards and landed on his back. He put the weight into his elbows, staring at Nisha eyes wide.

"What's going on?" Carl asked, hearing the commotion. He turned around and stared at Nisha for a few moments.

"Oh my god."


	9. Secrets & Perfection

"Who the hell are you?" Van Helsing asked, looking at the haunting image of Anna. But he instantly knew it wasn't her; Anna didn't have a scar running down her cheek, nor did she have green eyes. All the same, he felt a pang of happiness as he stared at the copy of Ana, it was almost like he was seeing her alive again.

"Anna?"

Unfortunately, Carl didn't see the differences. He looked frightened. Then he pulled out a stake and held it in front of him, but it shook in his grasp. "Stay back!" he said, closing his eyes tightly. "Or I'll, I'll-"

"Carl," Van Helsing said, rolling his eyes slightly. He snatched the stake away from him, examining the blunt piece of wood with an amused smirk. "Did you make this?" he asked, impressed.

Carl nodded frantically. "To protect myself from things like _her_," he said, pointing at the Anna look-alike, whom looked amused. But she wore another expression on her face as well; regret.

"It's not Anna, Carl!" he said viciously, getting annoyed with him. Did he not see he differences! Anna was strong, yet delicate at the same time. She possessed the beauty of a grown woman, but she was still able to do a man's work. This woman, this imposter, was very different from Anna. Her voice was different, harsher. And she didn't contain any of the delicacy Anna did; she just had brute strength. He could see that, even through the cloak. Lastly, Nisha contained a fierce beauty that so many women didn't have, not even Anna. He saw it in her eyes.

"How are you related to Anna?" Van Helsing asked disdainfully. He didn't want to admit it, but there _was_ a striking resemblance between the two; same hair, facial features, and the same cockiness Van Helsing had fallen in love with.

Nisha simply sat there for a moment, like she was wondering if she should even say anything.

For Van Helsing, she didn't have a choice. He pulled out his pistol and held it to her forehead. "How are you related to Anna?" he asked, more quietly and calmly this time. His finger lingered over the trigger. Temptation screamed for him to pull it. That way, they wouldn't have to look at her. They wouldn't be subjected to the awful pain that he was going through right now. The torture.

Nisha sensed the danger in his voice. At first, she had half a mind to refuse, to see if he'd pull the trigger. But, her work wasn't done. She was still needed. "Anna and I," she said slowly, meeting Van Helsing's gaze. "Share the same mother."

"How?" he asked, pressing the gun harder against her head.

"I don't think I need to explain the process of reproduction to you, Mr. Van Helsing," she said, smirking. "But my mother birthed my brother and I to another man out of wedlock. When we were five, my mother dumped my brother and I with our father and ran off with Anna's father," she said angrily. After a moment of silence, she continued. "Although I never knew about Anna or Velkan until I saw them when I was twelve. Anna was three, Velkan was four," she said, then shrugged. "I saw pictures of her every now and again, clinging onto my mother's hand. I never had an interest in meeting Anna, as I've always viewed her as my replacement." She smirked a bit. "Nobody knew I was related to the princess; just me, my brother, and my parents," she said, sighing heavily.

"How do you know me then?" he asked, still suspicious. So far her story added up, but it didn't explain how she knew him. Or why she was going after Dracula.

"Haven't you heard the stories, Mr. Van Helsing?" she asked, standing up. "They talk of how the great Van Helsing seduced the princess and killed Dracula," she said enthusiastically. Calming down, she crossed her arms and smirked. "Everyone knows your story, Mr. Van Helsing, except for one thing: exactly how did Anna die?"

She was taunting him. He saw it in her face. She wanted him to break down, to admit the truth. Why? Why did it matter to her? But he did exactly what she wanted; he snapped. He hit her across the face, the anger providing strength to his arm.

She stumbled slightly, her balance kept her from failing. Bringing a hand to her cheek, she smirked as her fingers brushed over the surface. "I see," she murmured, turning to him. "You may want to work on your anger, Mr. Van Helsing."

He was about to step towards her again, but Carl grabbed his arm. "Gabriel," he said sternly, as if scolding him. He used force he didn't even know Carl had to pull him away from her.

Gabriel couldn't believe what he had done, but he wasn't sorry. She had it coming to her by the way she talked. That's what he said to himself as he walked away without another word.

Nisha watched him go, then turned to Carl and smiled briefly. "I guess now wouldn't be the time to tell him my real name is Anna, would it?" she asked him.

Carl blinked. "Your Anna?" he asked, utterly confused. "First it was Loki, then Nisha, and then-"

"I don't know what Daleitra was talking about when she called me Loki," she said quizzically. "And having the name Anna, I don't think, would have gone entirely well with him," she said. "Nisha is a pet name I got from my sire-my father," she corrected herself, smiling sheepishly.

"No, I don't imagine it would have," he said with a heavy sigh. "He's never been the same since Anna-"

"I don't blame him," Nisha interrupted, watching Van Helsing lean against a tree and look out at the view ahead of him. "Anna was perfect in every way," she said, sniffling a bit. She decided to continue when Carl looked at her curiously. "My mother was determined for the perfect children. It was like breeding horses," she said with disgust. "She found my father; a strong, handsome man. The result was my brother and I. My mother didn't like the way I looked. She had wanted a delicate, thin little girl." She laughed coldly. "But I have a frame like my father's, a _man's body_ as she called it," she recited bitterly. "So she left us, and Anna was everything I wasn't," she said, then shrugged as if it was nothing.

"I'm sorry," Carl said softly, trying to imagine living the life she had lived. "But, how do you know all this about your mother?" He still talked sympathetically, giving her the choice not to answer just by his tone.

Nisha smiled. "My father was very truthful to us," she said proudly. "He let us know everything about our past when we were just youngsters," she said. "My father even told us our flaws and what we weren't, and what we should have been according to my mother."

Carl made a face. "Seems down right horrible to me," she admitted.

Nisha giggled. "But he also told us that it was our flaws that made us beautiful," she said.

Carl knew by the way she talked that she loved her father very much. "Where is your father now?" he asked. He wanted to meet this man. He also wanted to know if her father had any knowledge about what his daughter had become.

From the frown on her face, Carl knew he had just entered a touchy subject. He glanced towards Van Helsing to make sure he was nearby. Just in case she was going to attack him or something.

"My father and my brother were murdered," she said the words with so much loathing that Carl shivered.

"I'm sorry," Carl whispered. He was no convinced that Nisha was really trying to stop Dracula, and he asked no more questions.

"Let's keep going," Van Helsing said, walking up to them and ending the conversation officially.


	10. Say your goodbyes

The next two days were spent in almost complete silence. Nisha would give directions as in to what way to go, but that was basically it. Van Helsing was walking about ten feet from Nisha, and Carl was in the middle of them. Every now and then he'd glance from Gabriel to Nisha, then shake his head.

Eventually the forest faded into just a few trees scattered about, and then to absolutely no trees at all; just rolling hills of long grass. Van Helsing looked about, his face creased in troubled thoughts. The plains continued for miles, the nearest landmark that could protect their hides were the mountains on the horizon.

"We're being followed," Nisha said, turning her head casually to look over her shoulder. Van Helsing did the same, and he could see a hooded figure still among the trees. His hand moved to touch the handle of his pistol, although he noted right away that the hooded figure was out of shooting range, but that also meant that they were out of theirs.

"Who are Dracula's other pets?" Van Helsing asked, looking at Nisha. Daleitra and Indy's attacks were sudden and forceful. If this was an attack, then they were getting to know them before they attacked. He didn't believe that Daleitra or Indy had the patience to do such a thing.

"His second bride, Veronica," Nisha said, glancing at the sunlight. Well that option was diminished. "And his werewolf." There was another option gone. So who were they? Somehow Van Helsing doubted that they were out for a stroll fifteen miles away from the nearest village.

"Why is Daleitra the only one who comes out for an attack? The other brides worked toge-"

"Veronica and Daleitra have not had the time to bond like Marishka, Aleera, and Verona had. Not yet," Nisha said, looking behind her. The figure was not there. "I don't know much about Veronica, but she's the oldest bride," she said, then paused for a moment. "Daleitra is more wild and daring, similar to Aleera."

Van Helsing looked her over closely. He probably had done so at least a hundred times since they started this journey, but his suspicion never seemed to settle completely. Some of the things she said would always arouse it. "How do you know so much about the brides?" he asked. He couldn't imagine she had been in Transylvania for very long, not long enough to get information on all of this.

Nisha looked a bit uncomfortable, but didn't hesitate in answering. "I knew Daleitra, when I was little. She had always been the same throughout life. Wild and unpredictable," she said, she opened her mouth to say something else but then she turned around sharply to look behind her.

Van Helsing listened, the loud pounding of paws against the ground. "Ru-" he was cut off by the sight of a werewolf hitting Nisha full-force. She yelled something that sounded like "Not me, yet!" He watched in horror as the werewolf stepped back, and he looked upon the same horrific scene: her limp body, her right arm bent so that it lied next to her head. And the emotionless gaze of her eyes, staring at him. "Anna," he breathed, just before the werewolf turned and tackled him.

This brought him back to his normal state. While he was flung back he managed to pull out his gun, but the landing knocked it out of his grasp. "Carl!" he yelled, seeing his friend scrambling around nervously out of the corner of his eye. "Find my gun!" he screamed, grabbing the werewolf's throat to keep it from digging his teeth into his skin.

He could see Carl get on his knees and feel around with his hands for his gun, since the long grass made it hard to see. "Anytime Carl!" he said, feeling his arm starting to grow weaker. The werewolf's head slowly got closer to his face, his jaws agape and a loud snarl rumbling in his throat.

Just then, it lifted a paw to land a deathblow. Van Helsing could see the texture of his claws perfectly when he stopped mid-strike. It shuddered, then simply toppled over to the side. Carl stood there, gun in hand, his whole arm shaking badly. Getting up, Van Helsing brushed himself off and grabbed his hat off the ground. Normally he would have thought of some witty remark to tease him, but Nisha's limp body was still fresh in his mind.

Rushing over to her, he pulled her into his arms and stared into her emotionless eyes. "Nisha, wake up," he said, gently shaking her. With no reply, he simply held her in his arms, brushing a wisp of hair from her face. He watched Anna's death over and over in his mind. He had felt her body crumbling from the force of which he had hit her. He had killed the only one he loved.

With a gasp, Nisha sat up with a coughing fit. Van Helsing stood up, then held out his hand to help her up after she calmed down. She grabbed his hand, and he hauled her to her feet. She looked at the werewolf's limp body. "Carl shot him?" she asked amazingly, seeing the bleeding wound in his back.

Carl lifted his head proudly, crossing his arms over his chest in a dignified manner. "I did a pretty damn good job too," he said. Looking at their amused faces, he scrunched his nose in disgust and kept walking, making a sort of 'hmph' noise as he went.

Van Helsing looked deep in thought about something, although his concentration was broken when Nisha started speaking to him. "What I asked earlier, about how Anna died," she said, slowly, staring down at her feet. "I'm sorry," she stated simply afterwards.

Van Helsing had many options as to how to reply to this awkward moment, and an apology wasn't one of them. He didn't want to bring himself to apologize to her. "Don't apologize," he said, turning to walk after Carl.

Silence had over come them once again, and for the next few miles they simply walked. Although Van Helsing kept a close look on the area behind them, as the hooded figure disappeared. Hopefully the werewolf managed to take them out also.

"This is where I leave you," Nisha said suddenly, coming to a stop. The other two stopped as well, turning back to look at her with surprised expressions. They hadn't expected the time to come so soon, or so unexpectedly.

"Your destination is the mountains," she said, motioning to them on the horizon. "If you keep going in a straight line, then you will come to a cave at the base of the mountain. Follow it until the end, where Satan's tomb is located. Stay there and guard it until I come with the Vial," she said, standing awkwardly.

"Where will you be going?" Van Helsing asked, looking at her gingerly. He couldn't place it. He didn't understand why he didn't trust her, and he supposed he never truly would feel comfortable around her.

Nisha smirked slightly, seemingly amused by Van Helsing's insecurity towards her. "I will be going there," she said, pointing to the east. Following her gaze, Van Helsing looked at what appeared to be nothing other than a wasteland. Everything was black and a murky brown, as if a fire had taken place there not too long ago. "The Vial is located within the ash."

"Doesn't seem like a very good hiding place," Carl murmured, a bit puzzled.

"Exactly," Nisha said, smiling. "Would you really expect something with power like the Resurrection Vial to be somewhere that's relatively simple?" she asked, smirking. Turning to Van Helsing, she shifted her weight awkwardly. "Van Helsing," she said slowly, looking at the ground. "What I asked you earlier, about how Anna died, I'm sorry."

Van Helsing stood there, trying to figure out what to say. There was really nothing else to be said, so he simply turned to Carl. "Carl, my gun," he said musingly, holding out his hand. "Oh, oh yes," he said, giving Van Helsing the gun. Smirking slightly, Van Helsing walked in the direction that Nisha had pointed out. He noticed that Carl wasn't following, but he imagined that he wouldn't be too long.

"I…er…umm," Carl rambled on, once again not being able to put his thoughts into words. He shifted his weight awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, uh, be careful!" he said hurriedly, then scrambled after Van Helsing.

Nisha watched them walk away, a slight smirk on her face. Turning, she walked the direction that she was destined to go. She looked back at the two, watching them until they disappeared from sight by walking down a hill. Turning, she kept on walking.

"You almost killed him with your little act, m'dear."

The voice came from behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she smirked slightly and kept walking. "The mutt almost killed me," she replied, her bottom lip arching in disgust. She looked back to the path that Van Helsing and Carl were to take. "You will still have your fun, _m'dear_," she mocked, keeping her tone even.

That's when she felt the hand latch to her throat, squeezing so tight that her airway was blocked. She was lifted off the ground, desperately trying to take in air. Her eyes started to glaze over.

"You listen to me, you little wench." The voice remained steady, although the danger lingering with in the tone was obvious. "I don't care what you do, or how you do it. But having those two go by themselves screams stupidity."

Nisha fell to the ground, coughing. Grabbing her throat, she coughed for a few more moments until she finally settled down. She looked up at her attacker with a deadly glare, still clutching her throat.

"Van Helsing must not die."

Nisha's head snapped to the side, listening to the unusual rustling of grass. She went to investigate, but a hand held her back. "Keep going, m'dear, I'll take care of it." With that, Nisha was alone once more.


	11. Riddles & Rhymes

**AN: This chapter is terribly short. Sorry.**

**

* * *

**"Do you think she will be alright?" Carl asked, looking behind him. He could not see Nisha, however, the hill they were walking down prevented it. 

"A woman with a sword and the knowledge of how to use it will be fine," Van Helsing replied, smirking slightly. "I didn't know you had such a fancy towards dangerous women, Carl," he mused. "I would've thought nuns would be more your type."

"I've contacted the order," Carl said, the blood rushing to his cheeks. "They said that you must burn Satan's corpse, then drench the ashes in holy water," he said. "Oh, and you must not touch the body," he added.

"Seems simple enough," Van Helsing said sarcastically. Sometimes he grew sick of the order's tactics for fixing things. Actually, he never did use the order's tactics for anything. How did they expect him to bring back a monster to Rome when he was halfway across the world? Let alone doing it more than once.

"When did you contact the order?" Gabriel asked quizzically. They had been walking for a couple of days now, and there was no civilization anywhere nearby.

"When we were in the village with the crazy people," Carl said, shuddering at the memory. "I just figured not to say anything in front of Nisha, since she might have had a different way of destroying the corpse," he added, shrugging.

Carl glanced over his shoulder casually, then did a double take. "Van Helsing," he said worriedly. "The _thing_ is back."

Turning, Gabriel saw the figure stumbled down the hill they had been walking on just ten minutes earlier. They were still a good distance away. The _thing_, as Carl called it, looked like they had been injured. Badly. "Keep going, Carl. They won't catch up to us."

"Well, alright," Carl said nervously, giving the _thing_ one last look before running back to Van Helsing's side. He had fallen behind. "What do you suppose we're going to do when we find Satan's body?" Carl wondered aloud, glancing at his companion.

"I thought it would've been obvious, Carl," Van Helsing said, sounding surprised. "We wait for Nisha and then we destroy it," he said.

"I mean after that," Carl said, sounding quizzical. "Why bring the Vial to the corpse?" he said, frowning in confusing. "Couldn-"

"She said something about the vial also destroying the corpse," he interrupted. Although he did wonder that a bit also.

For the next few hours, they rarely talked. Every now and again Carl would make a comment about random things, but Van Helsing didn't reply to any of them. Something was bothering him.

Carl glanced at him, frowning slightly. When these silences came upon them, Van Helsing always withdrew into himself, but remained alert at the same time. Carl guessed he thought about Anna. He couldn't even imagine the pain Van Helsing felt, to kill the one that he loved.

It had been dark for some time, it was roughly around midnight now. Van Helsing had both guns drawn, staring carefully into the night as he walked. No sign of Indy or Daleitra. He was having trouble distinguishing a pattern of when Daleitra attacked, although he knew she liked to try and grab him and fly through the air with him tightly in her grasp.

Van Helsing was looking ahead when he heard the soft rustling of grass. The wind blew gently in his face. He walked a few more steps before turning sharply, pointing his guns at the silhouette of the hooded figure.

For a moment they just stood there, staring at each other. But then he saw another figure beside that one. Van Helsing strained to see through the darkness, but he had no way of even seeing what gender they were.

"You may want to watch yourself, m'dear," a woman's voice purred. Well that certainly gave him a hint as to what sex they were. "Not all of your enemies are true."

Just like that, the two were gone. Van Helsing knew that they were because of the emptiness he felt around him now. The voice had sounded familiar, _hauntingly familiar_, actually. Although he couldn't remember where he had heard that voice from.

_Not all of your enemies are true._ What did that mean? Somehow he couldn't really imagine Daleitra being an ally in disguise. Frowning, he simply kept walking, trying to figure out the riddle he had just been told.

"Well are you just going to keep walking like nothing happened?" Carl asked, a bit frightened. "They could be right-" Carl jumped, turning around quickly. "Behind me," he finished, scuttling so he was at Van Helsing's side again.

"Not all of your enemies are true," Gabriel murmured, thinking. He couldn't think of any other way that the little rhyme could be played out and make sense. Maybe they were just bluffing.


	12. Coming to the conclusion

Their journey to the cave was spent undisturbed, oddly enough. The two companions stood at the mouth of the cave, staring into the darkness and wondering what hellish things dwelled inside. There was only one way to find out.

Carl shifted nervously, glancing Van Helsing. For the remainder of the trip, he had been very quiet. Carl couldn't think of two words he had said. Or, two words that made since to him. Every once in a while Gabriel would mutter some nonsense that wasn't audible to Carl. And he didn't ask, because Gabriel was so withdrawn that he doubted he would be answered.

"Come on, Carl," Gabriel said, starting to walk into the cave.

Carl looked around, a bit apprehensively, and then followed Van Helsing at a snail-pace. "Don't you think we should, um, wait for Nisha?" he asked, looking at the cave walls suspiciously, as if expecting something to pop out of them.

"She knows the way," he muttered, holding out his arms so that he could feel his way through the dark tunnel. Large boulders and such littered the cave floor, and Carl ran into quite a few before he finally copied Van Helsing's tactic.

"Oh. Well, alright," he said, slightly dumbfounded.

It wasn't certain how long they meandered around in the dark before they even saw some light. Van Helsing estimated that it had been around an hour, and he had to blink a few times because the light was basically a glare from being in the dark for so long.

Once his eyes adjusted, he unconsciously held his breath as he took in the scene before him. They had reached the end of the cave, and just a bit farther off the corridor-like appearance ended and appeared to be some sort of room. Although, it was perfectly shaped, the walls were even and smooth. The floor looked similar to marble, and they gleamed in the beam of light that illuminated the coffin that was positioned in the middle, the casket made of pure stone with engravings all over it. Van Helsing walked forward until he was standing next to it, torches that hung around the room lighting as he entered.

"Are you sure this is _his_ grave?" Carl said, breathing heavily. Apparently he had been incapable of breathing also. It wasn't that the place had the feeling of evil lingering in the air, which was rather surprising actually, although both of them had an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of their stomachs. "I mean, if it was, then wouldn't his tomb be completely consumed in darkness, or something?" Carl asked, slowly creeping forward. "It just doesn't make any sen-"

"It's starting too," Gabriel said, staring at the encryptions on the tomb. They were in some ancient writing, although Gabriel didn't recognize it. "Carl, can you read this?" He ran a hand over the inscriptions, but recoiled his hand as a jolt pulsed through his body. At first he could not place that feeling, it had been so quick and he had pulled his hand away so quickly, he couldn't really register what it was. But he had no desire touching it again to find out. That was when he knew the feeling: it was dread; pure despair.

Carl leaned over the tomb, his eyes scanning over the engravings. "I don't know," he admitted. He reached up his hand to touch the tomb face, like it would give him some insight, but Van Helsing grabbed his wrist right before his fingers were to skim over the stone.

"I wouldn't do that," he said, pulling his hand back before releasing his grip on Carl's wrist.

"So, what do we do now?" Carl asked, giving Van Helsing an apprehensive glance before slowly backing away from the tomb, as if he could feel bane seeping from the mausoleum.

"We wait, Carl," Gabriel replied, his gaze lingering on the dark corridor that had taken to get to the tomb. "We wait," he repeated, diverting his gaze to the source of the light, only able to look for a few minutes before tearing his gaze away. He couldn't tell where it was coming from; looking at it directly was like looking at the sun. But, it couldn't possibly be the sun itself, for that whole hour-or-so that they had been walking, it had been at a downward slant. Van Helsing wouldn't be surprised if they were halfway to hell.

Van Helsing paced around the coffin, and he once again withdrew into himself. Carl simply stood and watched him, figuring that he shouldn't interrupt his thoughts this time either. He couldn't say how long it was until there was a sign of someone else nearby, but when they heard a rock shuffling across the cave floor, both jerked their heads to peer into the darkness, searching for who, or what, had caused the noise.

Gabriel instinctively had a gun in each hand within a second, his sights on the shadows. He sidestepped closer to Carl, just in case whatever-it-was had thoughts to attack his weaponless companion. His gaze flicked back and forth, daring not to overlook every silhouette of each rock.

"Are you always so alert?"

Nisha seemed to melt out of the shadows, her black cloak flowing behind her. Her hood was down, the black curls that reminded her so much of Anna bouncing slightly as she walked towards them. She stopped short when she was in the room, shielding her eyes for a few moments like they had from the light. After her eyes were used to the brightness, she let her gaze fall on the tomb for a few moments, her eyes showing some sort of emotion that Van Helsing couldn't recognize.

Van Helsing looked at her for a few moments. When she said nothing, he cocked an eyebrow. "Do you have it?" he asked, drawing her attention from the tomb and on him.

"No, I decided that instead I would take a little walk," she said sarcastically, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small vile.

The liquid inside was completely black. The vile itself was probably two inches tall, three thirds of it full. In normal circumstances, it would be hard to believe that such a small little vile could be so important. But, like the tomb, the vile seemed to have an atmosphere of evil surrounding it, and to him it was very believable.

"What do we do now?" Carl asked, glancing around anxiously. That incredibly sullen feeling seemed to be slowly spreading through his body. Carl shook it off, looking from Van Helsing to Nisha.

"We die," Van Helsing said, looking up. He had his head bowed for the last couple of minutes, as if he was thinking something over.

Carl coughed, then looked at Van Helsing with a dumbfounded expression.

He took a step towards Nisha, who was looking at him with a look of surprised. "That was your plan, wasn't it?" he asked, taking another step forward, both guns pointed at her. "The Resurrection Vial only has one purpose, and that purpose is exactly what it sounds like: to resurrect."

When he took one more step, Nisha took a step back this time, smirking. "Maybe I didn't overestimate you, Mr. Van Helsing," she said slowly, her eyes shading over with a sudden darkness. "My master was right after all, and to think I had my doubts."

"Why use us, then?" Van Helsing asked, still slowly advancing towards her. "We just got in your way, you should have killed us."

"Because, Gabriel, we need you."

The next to melt out from the darkness was the whole party: Dracula, Indy, Daleitra, and one other that Van Helsing wasn't yet acquainted with. They stood like a wall, with Nisha being one of them. Five against two – well, one, really.

"Resurrecting Satan, is a rather big thing, as you can imagine," he said, chuckling as he motioned towards the coffin. "And while the Resurrection Vial is powerful, it is not powerful enough." He took a few steps forward, Van Helsing taking slow, careful steps backward as he did so. "But," he said, holding up a finger, pointing towards van Helsing. "With the blood of the left hand of God, his resurrection will be guaranteed."

Van Helsing smirked slightly, then pointed his gun at Indy and Daleitra when they made a slight movement. They sniggered slightly. Daleitra prowled forward, ignoring his gun, whose sights were always fixed on her skull.

"Are you ready to die?" she teased, flashing a mischievous grin.

"Loki did well, did she not?" Dracula said admiringly, stroking her jaw line with his thumb.

"Loki is a pet name, I presume," Van Helsing said, remembering that Daleitra had referred to 'Nisha' as Loki during their first encounter.

"Her real name isn't important," Dracula said, gently stroking her cheekbone. "But, yes, Loki is a name that I have given to her." After a few more moments of admiring her, he turned his gaze to Van Helsing. "It's a shame, really," he said. "She would have made such a good bride, had she not been infected by lycanthropy," he said, frowning.

"God can't- _won't _allow this!" Carl said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"God can't do anything!" Dracula exclaimed, raising his hands upward. "We are in a place where God won't save you," he said, taking a few steps forward. "Do you feel it yet? The depression that is slowly creeping over you like a sickness. You cannot escape it, no matter -"

"Be careful of what you say, Count."

In almost unison, everyone turned to look at the two hooded figures that entered, the ones that Carl referred to as _the things_. They stood behind Dracula and his "group", their faces shadowed.

"And who might you be?" Dracula asked, for once looking like he was caught completely off-guard. "And do you know what you are getting yourself into?"

"Very much so," one said, and both drew their hoods back.


	13. Not a fairy tale happy ending

**Hey, so here's the last chapter of the story. I apologize if it doesn't really fit in with the rest of the story, but it's been almost a year since I last updated, so go easy on me. I hope you enjoy. **

Dracula's eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, a look of unease crossed his face. He glanced to the companions that stood alongside him, and then back at the now un-hooded figures. A smirk slowly dawned on his face, although it was obvious that the doubt was still there. "Marishka, Aleera, m'dears," he said, opening his arms as if he expected them to go to him, like they normally would have done if they were still his brides.

Aleera kept her ground, as did Marishka. The fiery red head took her eyes off of Dracula for a moment, taking time to look at the faces of Daleitra and his other wife. She smirked at the jealousy gleaming in their eyes. The raw emotion was probably there for a lot of reasons. When she, Marishka, and Verona had been his brides, they had been so for much longer than these wenches. She wondered if it'd be possible to set them against one another, watch them fight over their master's affections. Although, Verona warned that this wasn't a time for fun and games. Van Helsing mustn't die.

"Count," she purred, keeping stride with Marishka as they made slow steps toward the group, who kept their stance between them and Van Helsing. That was something that she didn't like. But, everyone seemed more occupied with them at the moment, which helped their cause a bit. She was only a few feet from Dracula when the unnamed bride came forward, hissing, and putting a rough hand on her chest. Aleera looked down at the hand, bemused, then back up at the angry eyes of the bride. "Please," she said dismissively, bringing her hand back and then swinging it forward rapidly, her nails digging into the bride's flesh. Her scream of pain rang in her ears, and Aleera took a few steps back as the vampire started to thrash uncontrollably, her skin looking as if a flashlight was being held to it until she literally exploded in a ball of flames. She was aware of the scolding yet amused glance of Marishka, and the surprised look of the count and the fear of his colleagues.

"You have been blessed with new powers," he said quietly, as if he was thinking something over. "Powers that Satan did not give you," he said slowly, then turned his head up to look at his two former brides. "You've turned to God?"

The disgust in his voice made her laugh. "God offers much more favorable deals," she said plainly, turning her head towards Indy just before she lunged at her, snarling.

Marishka took care of her, moving swiftly to dig her nails into the young girl's back before she pushed off with her legs to make the leap to Aleera. She suffered a demise identical to the second bride's. After that, the rest seemed to have taken a step back, although not physically. But she could tell that their confidence was shaken by the way that they leaned in closer to Dracula, and by the way that they were also leaning backward, prepared to go back if need be. This was when she finally paid attention to Van Helsing and his little friend, who were still on the other side of Dracula, and he seemed to be taking everything in with doubtfulness and suspicion. His unease annoyed her, but yet she couldn't exactly blame him for having his doubts. After all, they had tried to kill him numerous times before.

"Aleera, you should be the one who understands most about what I am doing!" he said, motioning around the cave. "Satan on the earth will give _us_ everything we've ever wanted!"

"Maybe at one time," Marishka spoke now, her shoulder touching her companion's lightly. "Now, we are servants of God, and we will fight until death to keep Satan's corpse exactly what it is now," she said, looking past her late husband and to the tomb, "a corpse."

She decided to test her husband and his only remaining companion, walking forward, sticking to the wall of the cave, as she made her way towards Van Helsing. He watched her, eyes narrowed in interest, but didn't make any movements to stop her. That was a mistake on his part. A casual glance over her shoulder told her that Aleera was following her, and soon they were on the other side, on the side of Van Helsing. The ironic nature of the whole situation was amusing.

Van Helsing didn't seem very comfortable, let alone Carl. The poor monk was seemed to be practically joined to his companion, and Marishka could almost mistake his stance for cowering. Gabriel was, obviously, a bit more sound than Carl, but his suspicion clearly shone in his eyes. His gun was no longer pointing at anyone, but hanging at his side, his finger caressing the trigger. He was a smart man, Gabriel, trusting no one but himself and his little mouse like friend. Although, it could be a bit more frustrating now, since he needed to see that she and Aleera were his allies, rather than some pawns for Dracula again.

"Where is Verona?" he asked once they positioned themselves next to Van Helsing, although there was a noticeable space in between them. Apparently they didn't trust one another, which he could manipulate to work in his favor. Judging from the snigger that his lovely Daleitra showed, she had taken care of the older woman. He frowned a bit, and couldn't help but think that it was a shame he couldn't have seen her first. She had been his personal favorite; she was calm yet unpredictable. She was a mother to the two that stood before him, teaching them everything that she knew and learned from Dracula himself. While Daleitra had made a major accomplishment in killing a woman of such skill, he was a bit dissatisfied with her at the moment. His second brides were nothing compared to the original three.

"She's coming," Aleera commented, giving a cool glance in Daleitra's direction.

"No she's not!" the bride hissed, turning so she stood in front of Dracula, putting her hands on his chest. She looked up at him like a dog begging for praise from its master. Aleera looked on, her upper lip curling up slightly at the sight. She used to be just like Daleitra was now; vulnerable, and begging to be noticed. The rivalry that had existed between the three of them had been intense; she imagined that it had been the same for Daleitra and the other bride, especially since they seemed to be young. There wasn't, after all, a third bride. Apparently Dracula didn't have time to scout out the final addition. In a wicked sort of way, she had saved someone's life.

"Oh, shove it," she said, rolling her eyes. She strode up to Daleitra's back, and she gladly took care of that wench as well. As soon as the flames evaporated, the Count's eyes met hers'. For a moment she just stood, transfixed, until warning bells screamed in her head. She looked away, taking a few steps back so that she was now in the line that she, Marishka, Van Helsing, and Carl formed. Dracula was on his own now, besides Nisha, who seemed to be completely mute, but he looked calm. Aleera wondered if he was secretly worried, wondering how he was going to get out of the situation alive. His forces had been discarded so easily thus far, what was to stop him from meeting such a dismissive end?

"How the tables have turned!" he mused, spreading his arms and spinning around slowly. "Two against four," he said, a smirk lingering on his lips. Aleera and Marishka were fully aware of that smirk, and instantly became uneasy. And, of course, the uneasiness was detected quickly by the Count, and the smirk contorted into a cynical smile.

Van Helsing glanced between the two groups, mute for the moment. He could recognize a personal vendetta, which is what Aleera and Marishka had for the Count. But the sight of them together just made him suspicious. They had killed three of Dracula's best in just a matter of minutes, and they seemed to be having a bit of fun with the whole ordeal. He supposed that maybe the wickedness was just a part of the person in general; they always enjoyed making someone squirm.

"Hold on," he said, having a gun pointed in Dracula's direction, and another aiming at Marishka's temple. He took a step back, towards the corner of the cave, feeling better to have his back against something solid. Carl stayed at his side, not bothering to say anything, just positioning himself so that he wouldn't be in Gabriel's way if he needed to start pulling triggers. He looked from Marishka and Aleera to Dracula and Nisha. For all he knew, this could somehow be a plot against him. Despite Marishka's involvement with the village and taking Anna's place, he still couldn't be certain that she and the other bride were really on his side. Why would God make a deal with the former brides of Dracula? "Why couldn't you," he nodded his head in the direction of Aleera and Marishka, "tell me what this was all about before?"

The two brides exchanged glances. They had really been hoping that Gabriel would just keep his mouth shut and believe that they were on his side. But, obviously, they would need to obliterate his suspicions in front of the Count. "We didn't want you to know," Marishka said, crossing her arms over her chest. "If Nisha suspected that you knew something, the plan we knew about would have been changed, and you probably would have died in your sleep," she said, glancing at Nisha, who now seemed to wake up from her daze and had a smug smirk on her face. "It wasn't a proud death for the left hand of God, nor something to take pride on for the killer," she said, fixing Nisha with a hard stare. Eventually she turned to look back at Van Helsing, who still had a gun pointed in their direction. "You were safer not knowing."

He pondered over the information. He supposed it made sense, but he had been fooled by Nisha for the last few months. Maybe he was being fooled again. Although, he wasn't sure if Dracula wanted to risk his pawns just to carry this out. Then again, it was the resurrection of the devil. He was pretty sure that Dracula would risk as many as needed in order to bring him back. Still keeping both guns up, he looked at Nisha. She reminded him even more of Anna now.

She caught his gaze, and capitalized on it. "Van Helsing," she said, taking a step forward cautiously, holding her hands up delicately. "You know me." She carefully put one foot in front of the other, approaching him like he was some sort of wild animal, about to lunge at any moment. "The last few months must have told you something," she said. Glancing over, she jerked her head in the direction of Marishka and Aleera. "They were never your allies. But I was, I was with you the entire way, until now." She was arms length away now, keeping her gaze locked with Gabriel's. "Anna wouldn't have trusted them."

At the statement, he looked at the two, whom just stood and watched, waiting. Her reasoning sounded so believable to him. Anna wouldn't have trusted Marishka and Aleera; she had spent her whole life fighting them. But Nisha, Nisha was her half sister, and Anna had never even met her older sister before. He felt extremely tired, physically and mentally. The Organization had told him that he risked suffering from emotional stress. Now, he felt mentally drained, and was pretty much willing to agree with anything at this point.

"Yeah," he muttered, glancing at the two former brides a bit darkly. He bowed his head slightly, seeming to withdraw again. But Carl put a hand on his shoulder, and he instantly lifted his head back up, like the contact had woken him up. He looked at Nisha, his finger caressing the trigger. "But she wouldn't have liked you either." And with that, pulling his index finger back, he watched her topple to the ground, a silver bullet now residing in her skull. He looked down at her limp body, which appeared to him to be deformed and broken somehow. Anna was better than Nisha was. She always had been.

The Count was alone now. He stood, hands folded in front of him, gazing down at Nisha's body with no sense of remorse at all. Could that be expected out of a man that couldn't feel? Nisha had been nothing more than some worthless slave to bend over for his every need. And he had acknowledged long ago that if she died on the journey, there would always be more to take her place. Hopefully they would be stronger; a better copy of what she had been. It was disgusting.

"So," he said slowly, his hands hanging at his sides. "You think you can beat me?" He held out his arms, and his nails began to grow, looking like a bird's talons. His skin was changing from a ghostly white to an ugly brown. His head and hears started to contort themselves as well; his head took on a more round shape and his teeth started growing to a few inches in length, and his ears were pointed and large, like a bat's. Apparently Satan had given him all of his powers back.

Van Helsing had his gun out, ready to start shooting, and the brides looked ready as well. He wondered about the extent of their powers. So far, the only way they seemed effective was if the came into contact with another. He doubted that getting into contact with the transformed Dracula would be an easy task. But then again, this job was never easy.

Dracula took a step forward, stretching out his wings and hissing at them angrily. Van Helsing started shooting then, and Dracula stumbled backward from the impact of the bullets. But he didn't fall down, and when he had to pause to put another magazine in, he seemed to have shaken off the whole ordeal completely. He turned towards his brides, striding up to them quickly and grabbing Marishka by the throat. Her hands clasped around his wrist, coughing and struggling to release herself from it. Gabriel had his sights on the two of them, but hesitated to pull the trigger. He could hit Marishka.

No longer did he fret over this, however, as Dracula let her go himself, screaming in pain. He started to combust in flames, a little more slowly than the others, and Verona put her head on his shoulder. "Sorry, m'dear, I had other business to attend too." By the time she finished her sentence, he was gone.

Looking at her, it was obvious that she wasn't in the best shape. Bloody tears were in the fabric of her outfit, and she was breathing rather heavily, like she was trying to catch her breath. She also had a bloody gash on her right cheek, which was still producing blood at a quick rate. She limped towards the other two brides, who quickly assessed her wounds with gentle care.

"I thought you were killed," Gabriel said calmly, examining her condition. It wasn't good. He wasn't sure how much blood she lost, but he could surmise that it was more than a small amount.

She looked at him, like she noticed him for the first time since her arrival. "Daleitra attacked me, which is why I wasn't here first, like I should have been. And his werewolf was just going into the cave when I arrived," she said, her fingertips brushing against a gash on her arm. "I figured I'd take care of him for you."

Gabriel thought about everything for a moment, exchanging glances with Carl. This was just an extremely unbelievable situation, without much reasoning behind it. The Order was less than helpful, although that wasn't any different than any other time, but they usually gave him a little more information. They had never mentioned the brides coming back, let alone to help him. And yet, he figured all he could do is believe it.

The unlikely group of five walked out of the cave together after burning the tomb. There was a slight breeze, and he closed his eyes as it brushed gently across his face. It was nice to feel it, after being in the cave for so long.

"Van Helsing."

He turned to Marishka, looking down at the vial she held out to him. He looked down at it, staring at the black liquid inside. That was what he worked for so long, and so hard to get, and it all seemed to be for nothing. Granted, for now he was the most important man in the world for stopping the resurrection of Satan, but he didn't really care. He took it in his hand, running a thumb over the glass surface, and then directing his gaze back up to the young woman. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

She held his gaze for a long time before saying, "I think we both know what you can do with that."


End file.
